Lionel Messi was back in action for the first time since winning his fifth Ballon d'Or title on Wednesday night, lining up for Barcelona in the Copa del Rey.

The Argentina superstar helped his side to a 2-0 victory over Espanyol, securing their place in the quarter-final of the cup competition, and remarkably he has been directly involved in eight of Barcelona's nine goals in 2016.

Five goals and three assists has helped him to a near-perfect start as he hopes to break yet more records in this calendar year, aiming for a sixth Ballon d'Or title.

Lionel Messi was once again on form as he returned to the pitch for the first time since winning the Ballon d'Or

Messi (left) helped Barcelona to victory over Espanyol, securing their place in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals

The Barcelona superstar poses for an impressive photo, featuring each of his five Ballon d'Or titles

Dani Alves (left) jokes around with Barcelona team-mate Messi (right) and his young son Thiago in Zurich

Adidas were quick to reward Messi for being crowned the world's best player, sending him a special pair of platinum boots after Monday's ceremony.

Based on the current Messi 15 model, the sports company have created a design featuring real platinum elements which have never been seen before on a football boot.

The back has four gold dots and one platinum dot to signify Messi's record haul of five Ballon d'Or trophies, while a Spanish phrase translating as 'the greatest of all time' is printed on the sole of the right boot.